Wrist watch



Patented July 6, 1926.

UNITED STATES 1,591,512y P`A'l.`l:`.l\lTl OFFICE.

IRVING H. CHAIKEN, OF NEVI YORK,` N. Y.

WRIST WATCH.

Application filed July 15, 1325. Serial No. 43,753.

This invention relates to wrist watchesl and has for an object the provision of novel means whereby the ornamental appearance of the watch case may be varied.

A further object is to provide a watch case having ornamental plates removably mounted at its front face. When it is desired to vary the ornamentation of the case these plates are removed and Vinterchangeable plates bearing different ornamental designs are substituted for them.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front face view of my improved watch case;

Fig. 2 a detail group view of one of theremovable slide plates and two of the colored sheets adapted to be mounted in said plate;

Fig. 3 an enlarged longitudinal section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 with the watch movement removed;

Fig. t a transverse section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 a detail perspective view of one of the ornamental slide plates; and

Fig. 6 a detail section through an ornamental slide plate of modified form.

Referring to the parts by numerals, the watch case includes a body part 1 'and a lid 2 hinged at the rear of the body part. The case is elongated in form and is adapted to contain a watch movement, not shown. The front face of the body part 1 is centrally formed with the dial-viewing opening which is covered by the crystal 4. Loops 5 extend from the opposite ends of the case for attaching the wrist tape 6 thereto.

The front face of the body of the case eX- tends outwardly at opposite sides of the crystal as at 7. These extensions 7 are flat and have upstanding parallel guides 8 formedV along their two longitudinal marginal edges. The guides 8 are open at the opposite ends of the case and are formed on their inner sides with under-cut retaining grooves 9. Y

Ornamental face plates 10 are adapted to be slid edgewise between the guides S and are formed along their opposite edges with ribs 11 to engage the undercut guide grooves and hold the slides in place upon the extensions 7. Each plate 10 is formed with stencil openings 12 through its front face which combine to form an ornamental design. The under face of each plate is formed around its marginal edges with grooved retaining guides 13 one of which is slotted as at 1/1 to permit of the edgewise insertion of a sheet 15 of colored material, such as celluloid, into the grooves of said guide. The guides 13 are adapted to'hold the sheet 15 flat against the under face of the portion of the slide'plate containing the ornamental stencil opening. The color of the sheet will therefore appear through the stencil openings and give the 'design a beautiful inlaid or enameled effect.

The slide platesl are yieldably held against endwise withdrawal fromthe guides 8 by rounded retaining humps 16 uponthe eXtensions 7. The guides 13 upon the inner ends of the plates are adapted to snap back and forth over said humps when the plates are inserted or removed. lVhen it is desired tovary the'ornamental appearance of the case, the plates are withdrawn therefrom and interchangeable plates bearing a different design are substituted. One of these interchangeable plates is shown in Fig. 2. Provision is also made for varying the color of each design by providing a number of sheets 15 in different colors as shown in Fig. 2. These sheets are interchangeable and it is merely necessary to slide one sheet out through the slot 14 of a plate and insert a sheet of different color in order to change the color of the design.

Fig. 6 shows in section al modifiedforrn of slide plate. In this form, the plate, instead of being stenciled and provided with a colored backing sheet, has the ornamental design enameled directly upon its outer face as at 17.

It will readily be seen that provision is made for a great range of variation in the ornamentation of the watch case. The color of the ornamental designs may be changed to suit the taste or to harmonize with the clothing of the wearer. The design of the ornamentation is changeable by merely changing the slide plates, and the designs carried by the different plates may, for example, be in the form of a fraternity emblem yor may be of a form appropriate to a particular sport in which the wearer is interested.

It will, of course, be understood that certain details of the structure, such as the mounting of the removable parts, may be varied without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Vhat'I claim is:

1. A watch case, guides rigidly carried by the said ease and extending outwardly at opposite sides of the Watch crystal, and a pair of slides removably supported by said guides and each bearing a design.

2. A watch oase, a pair of plates eaeh bearing a design upon one of its faces, and means Carried by the ease to removably support said plates at opposite sides of the n'ateh crystal with the said designs facing forwardly.

3. A Watch ease. a slide, and spaced retaining guides rigidly carried by the ease along the longitudinal. edges thereof, said guides opening outwardly at one end and removably holding the said slide therebetween.

4. A Watch case, a slide, and guide means rigidly carried by said case and supporting said slide at one side o'f the crystal.

5. A Watch ease, a pair of slides, and guide means Carried by said Case and removably support-ing` said slides at opposite sides of the crystal.

6. A Watch ease, a slide member formed with a stencil opening, a sheet of material contrasting in color 'from said member re movably secured to the member back ot' said stencil opening therein, and retaining guides removably holding said slide to the easing.

7. A Watch case, a slide member formed with a stencil opening, a sheet of material contrasting in color from said member the said member removably holding said sheet back of its stencil opening, and retaining guide means carried by the Watch ease and supporting said slide upon the ease.

8. A Watch case, a pair of units each comprising a slide member formed with a stencil opening and a sheet of material eontrasting in Color from said slide member Carried and supported by the slide member back of its stencil opening, and retaining guide meanssul/Jporting said slides at opposite sides of the Watch Crystal.

9. A Watch ease, a pair oit members each 'formed with a stencil opening', a pair ot sheets of material contrast-ine; in color from the said member and located back of the stencil openings. in said members, means removably supporting' said members and sheets at opposite sides ol the watch crystal.

l0, A Watch ease, outwardly extending retaining guides carried by said ease and opening` at their outer' endsr a unit eomprising a slide plate supported by said guides and formed with a stencil opening, a sheet of material contrastingl in eolor from said plate, and means carried by the plate slidably and removably supportingsaid sheet back ot' the stencil opening.

ll. A Watch Aase, a pair of units each comprising a slide plate formed with a stencil opening, a sheet olf material contrasting' in color trom said plate, means carried by the plate slidably and removably supporting the said sheet baelr ol? the stencil opening in the plate, and retaining guide means removably supportingsaid units at opposite sides or the Watch crystal.

l2. A Watch ease, design-bearing means formed separately from said ease and disposed upon the ease at opposite sides ot the Watch Crystal, and means to detaehably` hold said design-bearing means to the case.

In testimony whereof I hereunto ai'iix my signature.

IRVING H. CHAIKEN.

and 

